Why Do Athletes Choke Under Pressure?

Choking Under Pressure in Sports

In “Sessions with Doc,” Dr. Patrick Cohn answers your sports psychology and mental training questions about why athletes choke or under perform in competition. Visit Peaksports.com and click on contact us to submit your question for Dr. Cohn to answer in his mental game videocast or podcast.

DR. COHN:“Do you have trouble taking your practice game to competition and underperform in competition compared to what you show in your practice on a daily basis? I’m Dr. Patrick Cohn with Peak Performance Sports at peaksports.com. In this video, I’m going to talk about exactly why athletes perform better in practice than they do in competition. You’re watching “Sessions With Doc,” unrehearsed and unscripted answers to your mental game questions.”

DR. COHN: “Here’s the question I received from Lonnie. He said ‘I’m a bit curious about what’s holding me back from performing as well as I do during training compared to competition. My coaches work with me and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s mental because physically I’m in good shape for the sport and I have the skills and the ability to be great. I think it’s about fear of letting others down. What do you think Dr. Cohn?'”

Watch the video below to hear what Dr. Cohn has to say to Lonnie about his mental game. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be updated on all our latest videos!

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